The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-04-06
The Faith of Little Hans.

A fierce wind came sweeping around
the corner of Pennsylvania avenue one
morning in the winter of 1884. Down
the deserted street it rushed, whirling
the freshly-fallen snow into light heaps,
then scattering it madly in every direc-
ton. Against this storm a young
woman was making what progress she
could toward the post-office department.
A pair of dark eyes and pink nose were
all that was visible above her wrap
pings. 81 must hurry" she thought,
as she glanced up at the great clock,
and in few minutes she was at her
desk in the dead letter Office Her
work was to open and read all the let
tiers whose destination could not be
found from the envelope, and whose
contents often revealed the desired adj
dress. What a molly pile it was that
lay before herl Here was one from a
broken-hearted father begging a way
ward son to come home and telling
him that his voice and smile alone
could remove the gentle melancholy
that had settled upon the dear old
mother. Here was another, from some
queer old gentleman, full of the small
talk and scandal of his own village, and
touching upon political scandal then
rife in the city where his letter had
found Judgment. There were letters
full of the vivacity of the schoolgirls;
letters full of the burning love of the
college boy; letters whose prim, up
right hand and gossipy nature sug-
gested spinsterhood; letters to convulse
you with laughter and letters that
would give you the heart-ache. Yet,
strange to say, not one of these eager
correspondents had taken the pains to
write the correct address on the en-
velope that contained so much that
seemed to be of the greatest Importance
Perhaps they were too much absorbed
in what they had said from their hearts to
take thought for the formal writing on
the outside. The young clerk had
worked her way down through large
heap, and was beginning to think of
| lunch, when she came upon peculiar
little envelope addressed in German to
"Jesus in Heaven" She tore it open
/ hastily, and found a soiled sheet written
all over in child's cramped hand.
| Some of the words seemed blurred with
tears, and she could scarcely make them
out. Here is the translation:
Dear Jesus: l have prayed so hard to you,
| but guess you could not hear me so far off,
so | am going to write you letter. We
came over a big ocean when it was summer
! time. My mamma has been taken sick all
the time. Can't you send her something to
make her well? And, dear Jesus, please
send my papa some work to do, 50 he can
| buy us some warm clothes and something to
eat, and please do it quick, for we are cold
and hungry. Nobody knows l am writing
to you. | thought you might send us some
! lfnrt TOW hn do ,,1l
l can't write very WELL HANS BRAIN.
Katrina's eyes were filled with tears as
she came to the end. She sat for some
time with the letter in her hand. AS she
folded it she resolved to do something
to make the little boy happy. She said:
Whatever his parents may be, this
beautiful child-faith must not be de-
stroyed." That evening, after dinner,
she told several of her friends about
the matter, and they were eager to help
her make up a box. 1t was ready in a
few days. There were some fannels
for the mother and little Hans, comfort
able clothes for the father and toys
enough to make the boy believe that
the Christ-child did not live in Germany
only. AT the very top lay crisp ten
dollar bill. AS soon as the box left the
house Katrina wrote letter to Hans.
She told him his letter had been re-
ceived, and that Jesus had sent one of
his servants on earth to help him, and
that nice box was on its way out
West. Not long after there came a
letter of warm thanks from the father.
He explained how they had been in the
country but few months, and had not
yet found work. AS the weeks went
by another and another letter came,
telling of fairer prospects and brighter
days. One thing they assured Katrina,
that they could never forget her kind
letter and generous help in their time
of saddest need.-Harper'S Young PeO-
pie.